Most narrowgauge railways in italy were built with italian metre gauge, which is actually 950 mm 3 ft 1 3. Italian train tickets and rail passes can be purchased through eurail, italiarail and rail europe, all private entities, the latter of which are brokers of trenitalia tickets. Italian state railways trenitalia and the private operator italo offer several types of advance fare tickets economy and super economy fares. The most popular month for these tours is september, which has the most tour departures. I will be going on vacation to italy in late march and april. During commute times you would see larger crowds for different segments of the trip and if it is crowded when. You can check times for italian trains in the interrail timetable or the trenitalia timetable. Although second class is very good on the frecce and italo trains, the first class trains connecting north and south are even better if you want to savor the wonderful views of italian landscapes. While highspeed trains any train with freccia in its name are usually the best choice for getting around italy, not every city is served by trenitalias av trains or italo. Ni railways, also known as northern ireland railways nir and for a brief period ulster transport railways utr, is the railway operator in northern ireland. Italian international trains travel tips from rail europe.
Italy s railway coverage is good, although in rural or mountainous areas you may need to catch a bus instead. Theres no better way to see the cities of italy than by train, trains link just about every town or city of any size, centre to centre. Trains are often associated with scenic, romantic journeys, and when going across the italian countryside by rail, this couldnt be more true. Traveling by train also lets you see the country like an italian, because it is a common mode of transportation to go from 1 busy city to another. Tickets for leonardo express trains and the regionale trains in italy do actually have to be validated at the station before departure. Within each region, there are also regional trains that typically run within that specific section of italy. Franceitaly thello day train from marseillenice to milan, or thello night train from paris to venice take the french sncf regional train to ventimiglia on the italian border, followed by a direct intercity train to milan 4hr or genova 2hr, where you can connect to trains across italy. Italo is the best way for travelling in italy by train. Intercity and eurocity, and regional trains as well. Wait to buy regional trains within 7 days or book early.
When travelling in italy, is it best to pre book trains. Trains in italy, rail network, train standards and. Spacious leather seats which always face direction of travel. This site uses proprietary or thirdparty profiling cookies to send online advertising with your preferences. Book your italy train tickets online with us and find out everything you need to. You can enjoy the panorama comfortably seated in a wagon with an elegant old style design, sipping a cup of coffee. The main trains in italy are operated by trenitalia, italo and thello, which provide highspeed, international and regional trains. We are staying in milan venice florence vietri and rome. Train travel in italy travel learning network blog. This statistic illustrates the daily number of regional train passengers in italy from 2014 to 2018. Theres no such thing as a national train, or else this would apply to all the trains operated by trenitalia, the national train operator. Best way to buy train tickets italy forum tripadvisor. Snowy mountains, volcanoes, forests, mountain villages and streets dotted with cypresses are flowing by your train window. It looks like there is a train that runs along the whole coast.
Train travel in italy, a beginners guide tickets from 9. Nove to venice 3 ways to travel via train, bus, and car. Hi folks, travelling to italy for 3 weeks in july with 4 friends, expecting to take 6 train trips in total. Trenord is a railway company which is responsible for the operation of regional passenger trains in lombardy. Choose any route in the map above and follow the links to see ticket prices and journey times, youll also be able to see which routes have highspeed trains theyre in red. You can show up at the station and buy your tickets just before departure, from the machines or the ticket office.
Highspeed to maximise your time sightseeing or regional trains to maximise. Not many travelers want to leave italy once they arrive, but if you do ever decide to venture beyond italian borders, youll probably experience one of the trenitalia international trains. From here, in just a few steps, you can visit the most famous department store in italy, the rinascente, and in just ten minutes on foot you can reach the fashion quadrilateral, milans the fashion district a shopping area par excellence, which is area between the streets of via montenapoleone, via manzoni, via della spiga and corso. These companies service highspeed trains, international trains, and the regional train. Operates regional trains in ticino and lombardia, including trains over the old gotthard pass route. For other local and regional services, first class is a.
For more inspiration, discover our italy vacation deals. Cheap train tickets italy buy tickets online happyrail. Buy cheap train tickets for the regional trains italy. Fast trains sometimes designated es for eurostar connect a few major cities in italy. Most cities and towns in italy are served by what are called regional trains, which are slower and often older trains. The company was established by the two main railway companies in lombardy, trenitalia and ferrovie nord milano fnm, to manage train operations in the region. We have received conflicting suggestions in regards to the trains to get from each city. Italy regional trains itinerary and routes travel stack.
Nov, 2017 trenitalia orders more jazz regional trains for italy. The country might be more famous for its deluxe sports cars and challenging driving conditions, but italian trains are economical, comfortable and direct, offering an insight into local life, often with great views thrown into the bargain. If you are looking to venture the beaten track, these trains will get you to lesstraveled but equally delightful corners of italy. Here are a couple of suggestions for places to visit when touring northern italy by train. Mainly because those rv services skip some stations that the regionale trains call at the rv trains tend to only call at the major towns and cities. R lines regional lines the regional r lines link the whole lombardy region through a huge railway network of almost 2. Italians still say this, especially older generations pining for what they think is a lost sense of order, but the truth is that italian trains are more reliable these days than ever. I plan to buy all my regional train tickets needed throughout the 21day trip in may on my first day in italy at rome termini. Select an option below to see stepbystep directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in rome2rios travel planner.
In theory this fare is valid on any train but if you buy online rather than at the station its prevalidated and only valid for 4 hours from the time of the train you book. Train travel in italy is a popular option because of its comfort and. Regionale veloce, means fast regional, but is actually a slow train. Intercity trains ic on the big boards stop less often than do regional trains reg or rv for regionale veloce, which travel within the borders of a region e. These trains provide most of the highspeed service on the main lines between turin, milan, venice, bologna, florence, rome, naples, and bari.
Alstom to deliver 25 additional jazz regional trains to. Each seat has a power supply, individual ligh and foldable table. Trains are operated by the national company, ferrovie dello stato. Regional trains operate from nice to the border town of ventimiglia and over the. Begin your touring northern italy by train in milan.
With omio travelers will be able to see which trains better fit their need, for example depending on price and travel time, as well as see whether the train is highspeed or regional. On many routes, particularly in northern italy, alternative regionale veloce rv train services are faster than these regionale r trains. Nir is a subsidiary of translink, whose parent company is the northern ireland transport holding company nithco, and is one of five publicly owned train operators in the united kingdom, the others being network rail, direct rail. Lots of webpages mention regional trains, saying they stop at most towns of any importance in their way between major cities. The train is a great way of touring italy with a good network of intercity and regional services. Trains in italy will take you across the entire country and its islands, as well as other countries in europe. The italian train network offers a variety of train types and train companies that visitors may choose from while planning their trip to italy. Apr 09, 2020 the nsw government is replacing the ageing nsw regional rail fleet of xpt, xplorer and endeavour trains, which includes trains that are up to 37 years old. Eurail passes are only available to noneu citizens and residents and must be purchased in advance of your trip to italy. These new orders, which are exercised as two options under a contract signed in 2012, bring trenitalias jazz fleet to 95 trainsets. The first railway in italy was the napoliportici line, built in 1839 to. Its first come first sit so i would avoid commute hours and try for more midday trains.
Detailed information and where to buy train tickets. The difference between regional regionale veloce trains and others ic, ec, frecce is not so much whether they operate regionally or nationally both types operate e. They are mostly cheap and reasonably reliable, although some of the older trains are not hugely comfortable. Its owned by ferrovie dello stato italiane fs, a governmentowned holding company and was created in the year 2000 regional trains in italy italys regional r and fast regional rv trains operate frequent services across italy, including to the island of sicily via train ferry and on the island of sardinia. Can anyone tell me if i should book trains within italy online ahead of time to save money, or if i should wait until it is within 7 days and book the regional trains. Italiarail books exactly the same trains at exactly the same prices as.
Europe booking trains in italy should i book in advance. Regional trains italy slow trains train tickets start from 9,30 cheap tickets, but relatively slow way of train travel eurail pass interrail pass. These are special pass formulas for families with more than one child under 18. Im not aware of any rail map that shows all the stops. Highspeed rail travel in italy visitor guide to rome. On regional trains, the old age limit still applies, children under 12 travel at the child. We have used the regional trains in italy on several occasions and never had a bad experience. Italy may look like a small country when compared to the rest of the planet, but getting around can still be a challenge if you arent prepared to deal. If youre using ricks italy guidebook or italy planning map, then the colored maps show rail as thin black lines and other regional maps within some chapters also reflect train lines.
And if i purchase these tickets, is it true all i need to do is validate. I need to find information about regional trains in sicily and in southern italy along the coast south between naples and reggio di calabria. As the center of one of the first true centres of human civilisation in the world. Omio is a travel platform and an authorized ticket seller that lets you compare and book trenitalia trains to destinations in italy. As gac said, its hard to find the schedules for regional trains from florence to bologna, as all the direct trains are highspeed trains. The malpensa express is a fastregional train that connects milano centrale or cadorna with malpensa airport in 50 minutes, with departures every 15 minutes.
When traveling domestically, always go for a first class ticket. The leonardo express is a fastregional train that connects roma termini station to fiumicino airport in only 32 minutes, with departures every 15 minutes. Book italy train tickets online with italiarail the italian train travel specialists. I know the dates of travel but not sure of them times to get the trains. As with any foreign country, though, navigating the.
The italian rail network comprises also other minor regional lines controlled by other companies, such as ferrovie emilia romagna and ferrovie del sud est, for a total of about 3,000 km. Regional trains vs fast trains italy message board. If cost is your major factor and you have the time, there is nothing wrong with the regional trains. A highspeed ride on italy s luxurious new italo train. Regional trains in italy while highspeed trains any train with freccia in its name are usually the best choice for getting around italy, not every city is served by trenitalias av trains or italo. Find out which trains in italy require reservations, and how you can book them. Regional trains vs fast trains italy forum tripadvisor. Italo trains are usually more plush and newer than the regional or public train lines. These trains are airconditioned with spacious reclining seats and plenty of luggage room.
On the whole, you can bet that if youre crossing regions, youre going to want to take a national train. While highspeed trains are usually the best choice for getting around italy, not every city is served by trenitalias av trains or italo. The trip by regional train will take you nearly all day, because of the many changes of train. With omio travellers will be able to see which trains better fit their need, for example depending on price and travel time. Rail travel to rome and beyond is fast and cheap way of touring italy. This new order is worth 170 million and is exercised as an option to the contract signed in 2012. This article was written to educate about train travel and was made by save a train, the cheapest train tickets website in the world. Same prices or cheaper as the railways all tickets and passes in the world, our story customers rate us with 5 stars. There are multiple train classes so if you want to take advantage of more amenities during the ride, you have more lavish options. Sep 03, 2014 the top 10 books about trains dickens, zola and early 20thcentury timetables all transport the reader, finds novelist and railway fanatic andrew martin andrew martin. Train italy trains map, pass, timetables and fares italy. These high speed trains take travelers from the heart of italy to city centers in austria, switzerland, germany.
They allow for a set number of travel days within a set period of time but in most cases, seat reservations are still necessary. Do you know the websites hopefully in englishor have any information on these areas. The station is connected to milanmalpensa airport through the malpensa express train service but also to metro, trams and. Information about the categories seats, couchettes and sleepers. I will never need to travel with another company again. A new train maintenance facility will be built in dubbo to stimulate the regional economy and help create sustainable job opportunities and skills. Its fixedprice, you can buy at that price even on the day. With some of europes fastest trains and most scenic routes, italy is a great place to travel by train. Best way to buy train tickets italy message board tripadvisor. Train travel in italy is a convenient, inexpensive way to see much of the country, especially its major cities and towns.
Regional trains, on the other hand, have classic carriages with ordinary windows. The land of the romans and the renaissance, of food and fashion and of myths and michelangelo, italy is an enigmatic mix of fascinating history and culture. If you catch regional trains and not the so called frecce, you dont need to buy tickets in advance, because there is no seat reservation and the price is always the same. The nationwide rail system was begun in the 1800s, and expanded greatly under the fascist regime of mussolini, who famously made the trains run on time. Hi, i am a bit confused whether i should book my train tickets in advance for my travel in italy. Italo does not connect to smaller cities, while trenitalia provides regional and intercity service to the far reaches of italy from the top of the boot to the heel. For the milan venice route, i was thinking it may be better to pre book as i would want a high speed train. If youre staying in the same region, you can make do with a regional train. Trains in italy book your best train ticket here omio.
Can anyone tell me if i should book trains within italy online ahead of time to save money, or if i should wait until it is within 7 days and book the. There are toilets on the train and sometimes also snack trolleys. Venice to florence, rome, naples, padua train tickets. Italys main private train company, italo, has many options connecting most of the major cities. Travel with our frecce trains, at high speed, departing and arriving from the center of the main cities. The frecciabianca service does not use the highspeed lines, but offers highly comfortable transport with an excellent range of services across italy. Its not possible to make reservations for regional trains.
Trenitalia everything you need to know omio goeuro. Once you validate the ticket, the travel would have to be completed within 6 hours for trips up to 200 km and within 24 hours for trips of more than 200 km. Rail travel europe train tickets europe rail pass europe. Regional train ticket purchase at italian train stations. We want to use the local regional trains in italy as they are cheaper and dont need to be booked far in advance. How to read an italian train schedule italy explained. We have experienced, and heard other travelers complain about slow or nonexistent wifi on some italo trains, though free wifi is. These trains may not always have the luxury or speed of highspeed trains, but theyre still a very comfortable way to get around. For the vast majority of italy travelers, the best way to get around italy is by train, although its not always a straightforward process to do so and thats where this guide comes in. The main trains in italy are trenitalia, italo, and thello.
Just wondering, though, whether they sell out or whether its like the good old days when people just packed in and stand in the corridors if all the seats are taken. Highspeed trains run frequently connecting major italian cities. I am trying to plan my trip, as im not yet entriely sure what cities to visit. To travel in italy by train, buy your train ticket online via the following booking links. Milan to bologna, florence, rome, turin, naples, train. Regional rail lines run through rural areas, from the big cities. Regional trains are an excellent way to discover europe. Italo connects rome, florence, venice, milan, naples with new, super fast and secure trains. Trains in italy the fastest and best value routes omio.
In accordance with the french data protection act act n 7817 of 6 january 1978, you have the right to oppose, access, change, correct and delete the information held about you. Alstom has been awarded two contracts worth around eur 170 million by trenitalia for the supply of 25 additional jazz regional trains. There are a few different names for regional trains in italy theyre usually identified by the r or reg on train schedules, but you can also find other abbreviations, including ir interregionale, d direct or e express. There are 86 tours to choose from, that range in length from 7 days up to 17 days. Trains in italy also offer routes that connect to neighboring countries like switzerland, france, and germany. There are 3 ways to get from nove to venice by train, bus or car.
I would like the flexibility of booking the day before, but dont want to end up having limited options if i hold off too long. Bernina express cheap bernina express tickets trainline. Trenitalia orders more jazz regional trains for italy. Travel between the major cities on one of the countrys highspeed trains for a fast 1 hour and 20 minutes from florence to rome. A guide to the 2019 italian train system italy 4 travellers. Italys fast trains dont go everywhere, but regional trains in italy will get you almost anywhere you want to go. Even with a eurail pass, you still need to pay a little extra to ride the fastest trains on the main routes connecting italys bigger cities.
Regionale is a service category that identifies trains in italy which operate within the same region or between neighbouring regions. A highspeed ride on italys luxurious new italo train forbes. How to buy tickets, find ticket fares and schedules. Booking a seat is mandatory and is added as a supplement to the price of the train ticket. The italian train network is quite extensive, connecting all major cities with smaller cities and towns across italy. Sep 22, 2014 id like to receive the forbes daily dozen newsletter to get the top 12 headlines every morning. The bernina express is a panoramic train with large windows perfect for admiring the beauties of the alps. The information is required by rail europe to process your subscription to rail europe newsletter. Alstom will start delivering from summer 2018, 27 additional coradia meridian jazz regional trains to trenitalia, the italian national train operator for the italian regions. When booking tickets for trains in italy using the services omio has to offer, travelers can effortlessly plan their trips.